Health Information Technology

What We're Thinking

Technology has transformed the way we live and work. But when it comes to health care, we still rely on outdated, inefficient systems.

NEHI believes we can do better. Our research demonstrates how the power of technology can be harnessed to improve health care outcomes, reduce costs and improve the effectiveness of care.

What We’re Doing

Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE)

• Saving Lives, Saving Money In Practice: Strategies for Computerized Physician Order Entry in Massachusetts Hospitals
• Saving Lives, Saving Money: The Imperative for Computerized Physician Order Entry in Massachusetts Hospitals
• A Case Study on CPOE: A Blueprint for a Beginning
• Saving Lives, Reducing Costs: CPOE Lessons Learned in Community Hospitals
• Treatment Plan: High Tech Transfusion - Case Statement for Implementation of Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) in all Massachusetts Hospitals

More than one million preventable medication errors occur in the United States every year -- and CPOE, a clinical decision support system, can change that. Our studies, conducted in partnership with the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC), have revealed striking opportunities for hospitals to improve patient safety and lower costs by implementing CPOE.

On the heels of our 2008 research showing that 55,000 serious medication errors could be prevented and $170 million saved each year through statewide CPOE adoption in Massachusetts alone, private payers and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts took steps to require hospitals to adopt the technology. And the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act -- the federal Stimulus Bill -- provides financial incentives for hospitals to adopt electronic health records capable of providing clinical decision support and physician order entry, the key elements of the NEHI/MTC initiative.

Our most recent CPOE report, Saving Lives, Saving Money In Practice, is designed as a toolkit to arm hospitals with detailed strategies for addressing issues including user support, medication reconciliation and management of IT as they implement CPOE.

Read more about the impact of our CPOE research here.
View a Webinar highlighting this research and its impact here.

Advanced Technologies to Lower Health Care Costs and Improve Quality

Produced in partnership with the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative and First Consulting Group, this report focuses on seven advanced technologies with demonstrated financial benefits and improved health outcomes.